City Manager Wins Pay Raise

HOLLYWOOD — City Manager Sam Finz announced on Tuesday his intention to retire in two years and convinced city commissioners to fork over a year's salary in severance if they fire him before that.

Hoping to round out 10 years as city manager -- and qualify for lifetime medical insurance as part of his pension -- Finz said he would serve out the next two years before moving to a university position or another municipal job.

Finz said he has "a lot of productive years" in him and doesn't expect to stop working.

"I will be free at that time to move on with my life," said Finz, 55.

At Finz's annual performance evaluation Tuesday, commissioners gave him a 3 percent raise, even after he told commissioners he was willing to forego it.

Commissioners also agreed, at his request, to guarantee him a year's pay -- $132,810 with the raise -- should Finz be fired before June 30, 2002.

Mayor Mara Giulianti was the only dissenting vote on the severance issue, saying she thought a six-month package was more equitable. More than that would tend to insulate Finz from the commission's mandates, she said.

Finz received favorable marks from all commissioners and Giulianti, who criticized Finz last year for not being responsive. Last year, Giulianti graded Finz unsatisfactory in seven out of 43 categories. This year, Giulianti gave Finz no unsatisfactory marks and only two out of 41 categories were listed as "minimally satisfactory," the next-to-lowest grade.

Commissioner Sal Oliveri, a former critic of Finz, said Finz had proven himself. "I know this man works very hard -- he can't work any harder -- and I think he's earned a salary increase."

Oliveri and Giulianti joined commissioners Cathleen Anderson and Keith Wasserstrom in approving a salary increase 4-3. Finz said he was willing to give up any raise for the severance guarantee. But Giulianti and others said not giving him a raise would send the wrong message about his performance.

"I believe that if his performance has improved, and I think it has, then he deserves an increase," Giulianti said.

Jeff Shields can be reached at jshields@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7921.